1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a teaching aid or a rehabilitation device having manipulative teaching devices for practicing and improving manipulative skills.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Dexterity may be defined as the readiness and grace in physical activity, skill and ease in using the hands. As they grow, children must acquire dexterity. Children with learning and/or physical disabilities work particularly hard on dexterity exercises. And in many instances, adults must reacquire dexterity after suffering from disease or injury.
In acquiring manual dexterity, manipulative teaching devices are often used. These manipulative teaching devices often resemble or consist of everyday objects that people in counter in day-to-day living. Common examples of manipulative teaching devices are found in the form of fasteners used in clothing, such as zippers, buttons, laces, snaps, hook and eye fasteners, and hook and loop fasteners. Through the actions of buttoning, zipping, and tying, children and patients may develop their manual dexterity.
Providing a suitable platform for manipulative teaching devices has its challenges. The platform must securely support the teaching device, it should be inexpensive and easy to move and store. And in the case of teaching children, the platform must be safe and comfortable to be close to. It is also advantageous if the platform to offers an opportunity for more than one child to participate in learning at the same time.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,197 to Livick discloses a matching game having a rotatable housing with cutouts and pegs on the exterior surfaces. This game does not solve the problem of teaching manual dexterity, and with the intricate, precisely fitting parts, it is expensive to manufacture. Additionally, it is not as safe for children as it could be if it did not have hard surfaces and sharp corners.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,722 to Housand discloses an educational toy in a rectangular planar base. The disadvantages of this educational toy include expense in manufacturing, hard sharp surfaces that may cause injury, and difficulty in standing the toy in front of a user for easier reach.
A similar apparatus is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,096,647 to Barry. Barry discloses a learn-to-dress manual having panels simulating garment dressing operations. One disadvantage of this device is that it does not have a stand for providing an upright presentation of the panels. Also, this device is limited to a single user. U.S. Pat. No. 3,546,788 to Drumm has similar disadvantages.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,786 to Culbertson, et al. discloses an apparatus for educating a special needs child about shapes and hardware. While this device stands, which provides an upright presentation, this device is made of hard materials that may cause injury, and the wide base is not conducive to placing the device between a child""s legs for close positioning and a comfortable easy reach.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,972,820 to Cano discloses an educational training device having a plurality of different fastening means, such as common closure or securing means found on wearing apparel. The disadvantage of the Cano device is that it is not supported to provide better presentation of the fasteners.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,323 to Wright, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 6,151,715 to Doherty, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,997,982 to Holland each discloses a training device that is worn by a person and manipulated by that same person, or a second person, such as a child. For a child, learning with a training device on their own body is more difficult than learning with the training device in front of the child. The disadvantage of each of these devices is that it requires a person to wear the device. In a classroom situation, persons to wear these devices may not be available, therefore these devices have the disadvantage of not being free standing.
Therefore, it should be apparent that a need exists for an improved manipulative teaching aid that is inexpensive to manufacture, safe for children, includes a sturdy stand that may be comfortably used close to the body, and offers multiple users access to manipulative teaching devices.
It is an object of the invention to provide an inexpensive manipulative teaching aid. It is another object of the invention to provide a manipulative teaching aid that is safe and comfortable for children. It is a further object of the invention to provide a manipulative teaching aid that is sturdy and free-standing, and that offers access to manipulative teaching devices for more than one person.
A teaching aid in accordance to the present invention includes a cover for substantially covering a support stand, wherein the cover has an outer surface and an inner surface, and the inner surface is adapted to conform to the support stand. The support stand may be an ordinary safety cone, or traffic cone. The cover may be made of heavy fabric. Manipulative teaching devices are connected to the outer surface for developing and learning manipulative skills. The manipulative teaching devices may be implemented with clothing fasteners, such as zippers, buttons, laces, snaps, hooks and eyes, and hook-and-loop fasteners.